Finding Love in Eureka, California
by Angela Ruth Strong
Series: Resort to Love #4
Published by Mountain Brook Ink
Publication Date February 1, 2018
Genres: Christian Fiction, Clean Romance
Setting: California Contemporary
Main Character Ages: 25-35
Written for: Adults
Pages: 258
Synopsis:
Raised in a family of six adopted siblings, Genevieve Wilson fights to keep her dysfunctional brothers and sisters together, but everyone still seems to leave. If she’s not good enough to prevent her birth parents from giving her up or her siblings from abandoning her, then there’s no way she would ever be enough to have a lasting relationship with the cute pilot from work…which is exactly what makes him a safe subject for her daydreams.
Matt Lake is dating the perfect woman and working a great job. Life is easy until he starts to enjoy hanging out with the airline employees more than with his girlfriend—one sweet female employee in particular. He tells himself he’s only intrigued by Gen’s quirkiness, but nobody else makes him smile the way she does.
Can Matt give up the flawless life he’d planned in exchange for the messiness of love? And if so, will Gen risk her heart on reality when it’s never paid off in the past?
I would like to thank Angela Ruth Strong for giving me this copy of the book. This gift did not influence my opinion or review.
Also in this series: Finding Love in Big Sky, Montana 
You know that feeling you get after you have been sobbing? That ache in your chest, the deep breaths that kind of catch in your throat and the sense of cleansing? Though Finding Love in Eureka California is not a depressing book and it has a great ending, reading it is such an emotional journey that, having just finished it, I feel like I am coming out of a good, healing cry.
I am sure that the fact I just read Angela Ruth Strong’s touching testimony before reading this story influenced my reaction to the book. Her personal experience appears to have come to play in this book, not only with her “other” work, but also her past hurts. And the result is a very sensitive handling of subjects that could be painful if the author is not careful.
There are so very many things covered in this beautiful story. Adoption, adultery, fear, drug use by a family member. The author took a broken woman, Gen, who was afraid to allow herself to hope for a good future for herself because of a Bible verse she had read about “the sins of the fathers” being visited on the children to the fourth generation. Seeing the lives of her adopted siblings and the things they struggled with had her convinced of that, and blinded her to the grace and mercy available to us through the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross. The journey she traveled to learn some critical lessons about God and herself were masterfully told.
Matt had to learn that even if he wants to always be the hero, only Jesus can be our Savior. His best intentions about not hurting anyone only result in hurting those he is trying to help.
Matt’s co-pilot was the one flirting with the fire of attraction to a woman not his wife, but the author made it clear that adultery is not just about the physical act, but the thoughts of the heart.
Some more things I really appreciated about this book include the insight into the inner workings of a small airport which came from the author’s real-life experience, a new view of yoga (I had no idea there were so many varieties of it!), and the photography sessions that were included.
Now that I have gotten to know the author through this book, her bio and her testimony, I just want to hop on a plane to go visit her and get to know her even more!
About Angela Ruth Strong
Angela Ruth Strong sold her first Christian romance novel in 2009 then quit writing romance when her husband left her. Ten years later, God has shown her the true meaning of love, and there’s nothing else she’d rather write about. Her books have since earned TOP PICK in Romantic Times, been optioned for film, won the Cascade Award, and been Amazon bestsellers. She also writes non-fiction for SpiritLed Woman. To help aspiring authors, she started IDAhope Writers where she lives in Idaho, and she teaches as an expert online at WRITE THAT BOOK.
And trust me–you would not be at all disappointed if you did hop a plane and got to know Angela. She’s as delightful as her books. We love her at Mountain Brook Ink. 🙂
We’ll see what God does in getting us to meet. 🙂